I'd been about a quarter-mile out of Primm when it had happened. Two Fiends, loser chem addicted wanna be raiders. They held me up. I gotta give them credit though. It isn't very easy to get the drop on me. But I was at a disadvantage. Deputy Beagle and I had been up since two in the morning downing whiskey and popping Primm Slimm with these two little Kid Abilene BB guns he had confiscated from some prankster kids. Which was a bad decision on my part, I knew i had a delivery to make at seven in the morning. You see I'm a courier. And no. I'm not the infamous Courier Six...bastard..

"Where's the package asshole?", god his breath smelt like shit. Even with his busted up 9mm in my face i could see the Radroach meat stuck in his teeth, I wonder if these sad fucks even cooked it before they ate it.

"Answer the question jerk off!"

WHAM. The fiend behind me had struck me in the back of the head with what felt like a lead pipe. It really could have hurt if he had some muscle left on his arms. But I fell to the ground anyways, to put me in the best position for what I would do next.

"Come on Mac just shoot this bastard already maybe he has some jet".

This "Mac" with the gun had turned his head to look at the junkie, and I took the opportunity...I flipped the Bowie knife I keep in my duster sleeve into my hand and stabbed Mac in the foot. As he screamed and dropped the 9mm I slammed my boot into the other fiends shin and felt it break, junkies are so weak and brittle. I picked up the 9mm and stuck it in Mac's face.

"Wait wait please don't kill me!" Oh great. Now the fiend will beg for mercy. "What? Is there a reason I shouldn't put a bullet in your head?". I looked behind me to check on the other fiend. He was just laying in the dirt,clutching his broken leg...pathetic, he shouldn't be a problem. "Yes! We know about the delivery you're to make..we know of it's significance...we've spied on the Legates...ACK!".

It sounded like a .308 round, and it hit its mark..the fiends head exploded. I pointed the 9mm in the direction I had heard the shot and was blinded by the sun. I could just make out the silhouette of five men trailing off into a single file line. Legion? And what was he saying about the Legate? Legate...Lanius? The Monster of the East? I had a feeling my buddy with the broken leg would be able to tell me more.

"Okay Alex I've sent you on important deliveries before. But this ones a little different."

Johnson Nash took any opportunity for a lecture..

"The client didn't say much but they paid handsomely and left specific instructions. You're to pick up the package from a man in Nipton..no name..just says from a man in a fine dapper hat and suit. You'll receive instructions there".

"Sounds like a lot of bullshit for a package..if its so important why not send the almighty Courier Six to do it? I mean his slaver buddies are pretty good runners right?"

"Alex shut up. You know he isn't around...bonus is 700 caps upon completion."

"700 caps? I'm the man for this job Johnson".

Now here I am. Getting ready to skin a fiend.

"No no don't cut me!"

"Then finish whatever the hell your buddy Mac was about to say."

The fiend pulled out a syringe, Med-X. He stabbed it into his leg and closed his eyes. "We were near a legion camp. Mac and me and some other guys. Mac had a stealth boy. Don't know how he got his hands on it. He told us he'd sneak up while they were asleep and steal some guns, supplies, whatever he'd get his hands on. Five minutes later he returned. Empty handed. Saying he heard about a bigger score. All we'd have to do is jump some courier coming outta Primm"

"What else? there's gotta be more." I put my boot on the junkies broken leg and put some pressure on it.

"PLEASE STOP!, he said the courier would be carrying a valuable item. Some kind of engraved old world Japanese sword, said the Legion would pay a nice fee to get it back."

A katana. I've got a thing for swords and weapons alike. Somewhere Mac must've gotten his facts mixed up. I wasn't carrying any package yet..At least I knew what I'd be delivering. But a delivery for the Legion? There's no way Johnson would accept a job from those slaver scum. Unless he didn't know.

I had to get to Nipton. I turned and left the fiend in the dirt clutching his broken leg, we were about a quarter-mile outta Primm and the sun was still high, I figured he'd be able to crawl himself to safety...If a bark scorpion didn't get to him first.

I started down Highway 95, the fastest way to Nipton..